In IEEE 802.11, there are factors that may adversely impact performance and user experience in several different scenarios. The length of time (for example, up to several seconds) required for IEEE 802.11 to establish an initial connection for a user's device may adversely affect user experience. For example, using interactive sessions (for example, a Skype video), a connection may not be able to be maintained when switching from another network, for example, third generation (3G) to WLAN. Another example where the link setup process may adversely impact performance is a requirement for supporting a large number of users simultaneously entering an extended service set (ESS) and securely providing the users' initial authentication.